45 Secrets of Driving Donations through Social Media

by Thomas R. Reich

You have wondered what social media can do for your nonprofit, but more important, how can you get more donations through social media? I speak far and wide on the benefit to small business of social media, and having a proper social media network attached like a funnel to your website and blog. But what if this same type of network is used in a nonprofit organization, can you get more donations through social media networking? Read on and be surprised!

Used together in a network, more donations through social media can be achieved, especially when connected to an effective blog and website pages that act as landing pages which are donor friendly, in other words, a page on your website that clearly states your cause, how the visitor can help, and a click here to donate button.

Let’s have some fun looking at each facet of social media, your website, and blog, and together discover many ways to get more donations through social media!

YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Blogs and your website all have their place but when tied together they become a powerful tool to get potential donors to your website and help create more donations through social media.

First let’s look at Twitter:

1) It is important to have as many targeted followers as possible for Twitter to be effective. Take a look at:

3) Add @ symbol to share content of a respected site in your field and give your tweet more credibility, example: @charitynetusa

4) Automate the tweeting of other sites that you respect to bring more content to your Twitter site.

5) Automate your Tweeting so it is consistent at a certain time, using SocialOomph, Rooster, HootSuite or other services. This will help bring more donations through social media. Read more:

6) Use the # symbol to attract the attention of those searching for the keyword of your mission. An example would be, for this article I would include #social media or #more donations.

7) Be consistent in your content, always stay on the topic of your mission in all you do if you want your network to become a funnel for more donations through social media!

FaceBook:

1) Always update your Facebook page with your latest blog as soon as it is published to help the funnel effect and create the opportunity for more donations through social media!

2) Provide content links on your Facebook page to send them to your blog, your website landing page or to join you on your Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn or Pinterest accounts with one click!

3) Run polls using the standard Facebook ‘Question’ feature (above the ‘Write something’ box) to engage your audience and involve them, possibly encouraging more donations through social media yet again, beginning to get the picture!

4) Link your Facebook to your email newsletter.

5) Have a great “Mission Page” with a call to action on your Facebook encouraging more donations through social media.

6) Write a headline that is ‘keyword’ rich for your industry and niche.

7) Your title should make the potential viewer want to hit the play button, and encourage more donations through social media!

8) Respond to all comments whether good, bad or indifferent in a timely manner. It is important to engage your followers quickly and often to encourage more donations through social media; this is true for any facet of your social media network!

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CATEGORIES

1) Interview people involved in your mission, edit to no longer than 2 or 3 min and post on your YouTube channel.

2) Edit short snippets showing the plight of those you are trying to help, make small snippets 30 sec – 90 sec, and post many of them.

3) Edit and post short videos of participants in your latest event, as many different people as possible in 30-90 second snippets, post many snippets individually but never longer than 90 seconds, and make sure to tag with the names of the people in each snippet.

4) Make sure to include your website and your blog link in your YouTube profile!

5) Automate sharing after posting (available under ‘Account settings” then ‘Activity Sharing’, then choose the social accounts and as a minimum select Facebook and Twitter.

7) Always announce a new YouTube video posting through Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and in your website and newest blog. This is why you have a social media network, to encourage even more donations through social media!

LinkedIn:

1) Choose to make your profile public when making your profile settings.

2) Use all three link options; website, blog and social media links that LinkedIn allows in your profile, in order to maximize more donors through social media.

3) Ask questions in the Q&A section of LinkedIn with possible answer as links to your blog posts that explain whatever the question was about.

4) Set up a special LinkedIn for you blog, all linked to you blog and website, this will help you get more donations through social media.

5) Integrate your Blog post feed into your LinkedIn account using the ‘Add an Application’ button at the bottom right of your home page.

1) Linking your Facebook and Twitter accounts with your Free Pinterest account enables you to sync all networks and maximize your chances to get more donations through social media!

2) In order to place another user’s pin on one of your boards, you must ‘repin’ it! In doing so, you give the credit to who it came from which helps build relationships with other Free Pinterest account users.

3) Upload relevant, useful media from your website or find pictures that represent or pertain to your brand once or more a day.

4) BE AUDIENCE APPROPRIATE: According to MGD Advertising, as of April this year, 87% of Free Pinterest account users are women with the majority of ages between 25 & 54. Therefore, target your posts to maximize interest from that target group to get more donors from social media with Pinterest.

1) Produce inspiring, educational and awesome content that is so compelling that people want to share it, this is the foundation of your capacity building. All media is about good content and social media is no different, good content = more donors through social media.

2) Write regularly and consistently, at least once a week and and link all your new posts to all your social media. Potential donors will then come and visit regularly and keep coming back because they know it will be new and topical, and on an issue they want to learn more about. These repeat visitors are your target; they will be the ones to get you more donors through social media!

3) The blog headline is important for several reasons; first they need to attract attention, second they need to contain the keyword or keywords you are using to attract donors.